Zara to debut first store dedicated exclusively to online orders

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jan 25, 2018

In a bid to alleviate overcrowding issues at its Westfield Stratford store while it’s being refurbished, Zara is set to open its first ever pop-up dedicated exclusively to online orders.

Launching on Friday at the shopping centre in East London, the pop-up store marks a new step towards integrating the online and offline experience for the Spanish retail giant.

The 200 sq mt pop-up will offer a range of men’s and women’s clothing available only for online purchase. Store staff will be on hand with tablets to help customers place their orders, with same-day delivery offered for orders received before 2pm. All orders placed in the afternoon will be delivered on the next day.

The pop-up will also accept returns and exchanges, and payments will be made easier through an innovative card terminal system operated via Bluetooth.

Among other innovations, the pop-up will feature smart mirrors which will offer clothing and accessories suggestions when customers scan an item using RFID technology.

The pop-up store will remain open until May, when Zara’s existing store at Westfield London reopens following a refurbishment and extension. The popular flagship store is being doubled in size to 4,500 sq mts to meet increasing demand from East London shoppers.

The new flagship store will be the first in the world to feature a dedicated area for the collection of online orders. This will be serviced by two small warehouses, and include an automated service to make collection faster for shoppers. To collect their purchases, customers will have to scan a QR code sent to them via email or enter their PIN codes, and their orders will be delivered in ‘just a few seconds’.

Additionally, the retailer is upgrading its payment options by accepting payments via mobile phones (either via the Zara app or the Inditex Group app) and InWallet. There will be also a self-checkout area to complement the regular cashier desks, with a system automatically identifying the garments being purchased so that customers only have to confirm their items on a screen before paying.

Work on expanding and refurbishing the Zara store at Westfield Stratford will start next week.